Grub Street New Yorkhttp://www.grubstreet.com/
Grub Street is a blog about the New York City restaurant scene from New York magazine with coverage of the restaurant scene, openings and closings, NYC food reviews, and food news.enCopyright 2016http://www.grubstreet.com/Scientists ​Pretty Sure Humans Could Eat Food Grown in Martian SoilChris CrowleyThis could be you!]]>
First NASA turned the International Space Station into a farm-to-table neo-bistro, and now the Dutch want to live the modern-farmer lifestyle on Mars. A group of scientists from the Netherlands' Wageningen University and Research Center managed to grow plants in simulated Martian soil earlier this year, and they've found that those crops are safe to eat. Martian soil contains much more toxic heavy metals than dirt on Earth, and the scientists feared that the plants grown on Martian soil would absorb enough of these metals to become dangerous to consume. But the four crops they tested — peas, radishes, rye, and tomato — are safe to eat, and some had even lower concentrations of metals than they usually do.

However, the results haven't withstood the rigor of peer-testing and the soil was not actually from Mars but just an approximated version, created from chemical tests conducted by orbiters and landers. The research, it turns out, was backed by the space-colony hopefuls behind the MarsOne project, but ecologist Wieger Wamelink is more interested in the benefits for Earth. In a time of growing concerns over the readily apparent effects of climate change on the food chain, the ability to grow crops in a soil that would've been deemed insufficient before could prove pretty useful.

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http://www.grubstreet.com/2016/06/scientists-say-plants-grown-in-simulated-martin-soil-are-safe.html
http://www.grubstreet.com/2016/06/scientists-say-plants-grown-in-simulated-martin-soil-are-safe.htmlhttp://www.grubstreet.com/2016/06/scientists-say-plants-grown-in-simulated-martin-soil-are-safe.html#comment-listThe FutureMon, 27 Jun 2016 20:50:00 GMTAnother Restaurant Bites the Dust on Clinton StreetSierra TishgartSo long.]]>
Four-year-old Yunnan BBQ — Erika Chou's critically acclaimed Chinese restaurant (formerly known as Yunnan Kitchen) — has closed. Fortunately, Chou already has another project in the works, which she says is "Chinese-centric but with a little more range" and located on the Upper East Side.

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http://www.grubstreet.com/2016/06/yunnan-bbq-closes.html
http://www.grubstreet.com/2016/06/yunnan-bbq-closes.htmlhttp://www.grubstreet.com/2016/06/yunnan-bbq-closes.html#comment-listClosingsMon, 27 Jun 2016 20:45:00 GMTA Talented Pastry Chef Will Open a New Bakery in the RockawaysChris CrowleyWho could resist peanut-butter pretezl cookies?]]>
Over the last decade, Tracy Obolsky has established a place for herself among the upper echelons of New York's pastry world. A laid-back surfer who accidentally fell into the kitchen life, she's made ice cream with Nick Morgenstern at the General Greene and worked in kitchens including Esca, North End Grill, and Cookshop. Now Obolsky has left the Manhattan dessert circuit to open a bakery in the Rockaways.

Her latest project is located in Averne on the northern side of the peninsula. It will be called Rockaway Beach Bakery, and Obolsky plans to open, in some capacity, in a couple of weeks. (She doesn't want to share the exact address just yet, but equipment nevertheless is being delivered starting tomorrow.) When she's up and running, she'll offer wholesale baked goods for local businesses and have a takeout window, which will open at 6 a.m. to peddle coffee and biscuits for local fisherman. She'll also drive a VW van to the beach to sell sandwiches and pastries, which will maintain her trademark mix of familiar and innovative. Think: peanut-butter pretzel cookies, and salted-honey croissants.

This, actually, is just one of two projects Obolsky will work on. She also plans to collaborate with Whitney Aycock — New York's very own pizza nazi — in the same space on a project and will whip up things for him like Cap'n CrunchRice Krispie treats and a Fernet Brancainfused shortbread cookie.

Opening in an out-of-the-way neighborhood like Rockaway might seem risky, but Obolsky sees it as filling a void: "There really isn't anything else out here," she says, adding that Dunkin' Donuts is basically the only option for coffee in the Averne area at the moment. "I'm going to be doing a lot of bread, and there's not really anywhere you can get fresh croissants or sourdough bread or anything like that."

Who really wants to go to all the trouble to make ravioli and pizza from scratch anyway? 3-D printing has finally come to your dinner table. And this nifty little iteration called "Foodini" even makes pizza and pasta. Take a look at this crazy little thing in action.

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http://www.grubstreet.com/2016/06/3d-printer-pizza-video.html
http://www.grubstreet.com/2016/06/3d-printer-pizza-video.htmlhttp://www.grubstreet.com/2016/06/3d-printer-pizza-video.html#comment-listOriginal VideoMon, 27 Jun 2016 19:25:00 GMTBergen Hill Relocates to Noho With a Seafood-Heavy MenuSierra TishgartNew digs, new menu.]]>
A sign of the times: Carroll Gardens neighborhood favorite Bergen Hill has moved to Manhattan's Cooper Square, because owners Ravi DeRossi (of Death & Co, among other spots) and Daniel Kessler (Interpol's guitarist) wanted more space. With the move comes a revamped menu from chef Anthony Mongeluzzi, who's now focusing on seafood and vegetables. His menu includes langoustine with egg-yolk carpaccio, hamachi with white-soy ponzu, and an earthy fennel hummus — summery dishes that you'll want to eat right now. Plus, Charlie Bird's Robert Bohr and Grant Reynolds have curated the wine list. Take a look:

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http://www.grubstreet.com/2016/06/bergen-hill-relocates.html
http://www.grubstreet.com/2016/06/bergen-hill-relocates.htmlhttp://www.grubstreet.com/2016/06/bergen-hill-relocates.html#comment-listReopeningsMon, 27 Jun 2016 17:24:00 GMTThe Williamsburg Whole Foods Will Open on July 26Chris CrowleyWhole Foods signed the lease in 2012.]]>
Four years after signing a deal for its 238 Bedford Avenue space, Whole Foods' giant glass box of a Williamsburg grocery store will open at 9 a.m. on July 26. Along with the usual café and assortment of prepared foods, the bi-level, 51,000-square-foot market will be home to a location of Luke's Lobster's Tail Cart, where you can get skewered lobster tails to nibble on while perusing the latest in vegetable-infused waters. Fittingly, the café will be attacked with breads and sticky buns from counterculture pizzeria turned billionaire's playthingRoberta's, which debuted its now-expansive frozen-pizza business at the chain's Gowanus location. The opening is the latest stage in Williamsburg's total transformation into a hive of cool brands, with J.Crew operating a shop nearby, Apple set to open its own store down the street, and Whole Foods nemesis Trader Joe's opening its own location a few blocks away. Hordes of shoppers are certain, and the chain's arrival certainly won't mitigate the surging retail rents along its corridor of Bedford Avenue, already Brooklyn's most expensive place to set up shop.

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http://www.grubstreet.com/2016/06/tiny-coffee-press-brews-anywhere-video.html
http://www.grubstreet.com/2016/06/tiny-coffee-press-brews-anywhere-video.htmlhttp://www.grubstreet.com/2016/06/tiny-coffee-press-brews-anywhere-video.html#comment-listOriginal VideoMon, 27 Jun 2016 13:55:00 GMT12 Session Beers That Are Perfect for Summer GuzzlingJoshua M. BernsteinThese beers match memorable flavor to moderate alcohol.]]>
A decade back, craft beer was aligned with aggressively flavored, often boozy stouts and India pale ales. Although a welcome change from fizzy mass-market lagers, these intense beers were not the sort to drink, well, all day. So that drinkers needn’t sacrifice taste and aroma for lower alcohol by volume, brewers have embraced session beers, so-called because you can down several in a drinking session. Led by Founders All Day IPA’s success, the catchall category — the commonality is the beers are generally less than 5 percent ABV — encompasses ­formulations from tart sours to rustic Belgian saisons, snappy pilsners, and fragrant IPAs. They match memorable flavor to moderate alcohol, making them suited for any hot-weather occasion that demands a couple of cold ones. Here are a dozen session beers to sip (and sip again) this summer.

5. Victory Brewing Company Cage Radler(3 percent ABV)
The barely boozy offspring of lager and lemonade could be considered grown-up Gatorade. Radler is German for “bicyclists,” for whom the blend was first invented. $2.50 for 12 ounces at Hops & Hocks (2 Morgan Ave., nr. Flushing Ave., Bushwick; 718-456-4677).

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http://www.grubstreet.com/2016/06/summer-session-beers.html
http://www.grubstreet.com/2016/06/summer-session-beers.htmlhttp://www.grubstreet.com/2016/06/summer-session-beers.html#comment-listSummer Guide 2016Mon, 27 Jun 2016 01:00:00 GMTSilicon Valley Start-Up Working to Create a World Where All Pizza Is Cooked by RobotsClint Rainey]]>
A former executive at Zynga — the company responsible for FarmVille — says he's now fixed his "disruptive" gaze on the outdated pizza-business model. The future of pie delivery, argues Valley insider Alex Garden, is being pioneered by robots at his Zume Pizza, and Bloomberg got a look inside the new company. The process seems to involve a team of enormous and very expensive-looking robots preparing pies that then get baked by a giant bank of ovens en route to customers.

One of the robots (her name is Marta) expertly spreads sauce "perfectly but not too perfectly, so it looks just like an artisan product." Another, named Bruno, then "gently, without disturbing it," moves the pizza into an 850-degree oven to prebake. Traditional humans are still required for tasks like sprinkling cheese, driving the delivery truck, and walking sealed boxes to customers' doors, but these seem like minor obstacles, really. After all, even Domino's has robots that warm pies on the road, and military-grade robots that vigilantly hunt down customers using GPS. Pizza seems the ripest for full automation within fast food, so it's safe to assume the whole industry is steadily moving toward the all-robot business model.

Right now, Zume's pies only appear to be available in Mountain View (of course), but Garden warns his company is targeting massive chains like Domino's and Pizza Hut, which he says he'll be able to dethrone by offering "the best-tasting pizza in the country delivered in 15 minutes for the same price as any of the other chains."

As Bloomberg points out, there's "a lot of profit in robot-made pizza." Just envision one of the major pizza franchises but with "virtually no" humans, Garden calmly instructs everyone. "It would be like Domino's without the labor component. You can start to see how incredibly profitable that can be."

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http://www.grubstreet.com/2016/06/start-up-promises-pizza-delivery-takeover-with-robots.html
http://www.grubstreet.com/2016/06/start-up-promises-pizza-delivery-takeover-with-robots.htmlhttp://www.grubstreet.com/2016/06/start-up-promises-pizza-delivery-takeover-with-robots.html#comment-listThe FutureFri, 24 Jun 2016 20:10:00 GMTJapanese Chain Debuts Predictably Bonkers Ghostbusters BurgersClint RaineyLooks pretty frightening.]]>
People in Japan finally know who to call for a Ghostbusters burger. J.S. Burgers Cafe, part of a chain of eateries run by Japanese retailer Journal Standard, has unveiled a themed menu tied to the new movie's release that is predictably better than America's only Ghostbuster-themed foodstuff (Hi-C Ecto Cooler, of course). The limited-time offering has four tie-ins, starting with the G.B. Burger, a specimen that might be the first logical use of black-bun technology. It's got a layer of purple cabbage, and according to Fashionsnap, the patty gets a ghastly black-olive-and-anchovy-paste treatment.

As for the sides, there's something called "Black Chili Chips," whose namesake topping involves a much poorer use of the trick of dyeing ingredients a jet-black hue:

Photo: J.S. Burgers Café

Or slake that thirst with a Slimer smoothie that goes full ectoplasm. Ingredients include something vaguely dairylike and perhaps a blended hearty green of some kind, plus kiwi chunks and, for no good reason at all, burger-shaped snacks and candies on top.

Photo: J.S. Burgers Café

Dessert is this so-called "Marshmallow Mad Burger," a mountain of a food product swimming in Oreos. Also, it oozes a sickly red goo:

Photo: J.S. Burgers Café

It'd no doubt bring tears of joy to the Stay Puft mascot's eyes, assuming the new Ghostbusters team actually re-conjures that homicidal marshmallow maniac.

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http://www.grubstreet.com/2016/06/ghostbusters-themed-menu-japan.html
http://www.grubstreet.com/2016/06/ghostbusters-themed-menu-japan.htmlhttp://www.grubstreet.com/2016/06/ghostbusters-themed-menu-japan.html#comment-listTie-insFri, 24 Jun 2016 19:10:00 GMTBrooklyn’s Take Root Will Host Its First Designer Pop-up This WeekendSierra TishgartGorgeous ceramics from Philadephia's Felt + Fat will be available.]]>
When most chefs depart from their usual service for the sake of a collaborative event, it involves another chef — possibly from out of town — helping them cook a meal. But Take Root, Elise Kornack and Anna Hieronimus's tiny Brooklyn tasting room, isn't like other restaurants. Tomorrow, Kornack and Hieronimus will debut a series of events featuring independent makers — artists, farmers, musicians — who will sell their wares in the restaurant, which will be transformed (temporarily) into a gallery-like space. The first installment of Take Root MRKT spotlights Felt + Fat, a Philadelphia-based design studio that makes the plateware used by Kornack and Hieronimus (as well as Eli Kulp, among others).

"All creative projects, particularly restaurants, are constantly an evolution," Kornack explains of the idea. "We kind of wanted to bring the vibration back, especially because Cobble Hill has a nice vibe in the late afternoon on a Saturday. We then realize no one's really featuring their purveyors. We've worked with Felt + Fat since we opened the restaurant, and we were one of each other's first big collaborations."

From 2 to 10 p.m. this Saturday, you can shop Felt + Fat's biggest hits, plus one-off items and a brand-new line of ceramics that the designers created in collaboration with Kornack. "I had actually asked them to create a certain plate for what would've been a potential restaurant concept for us, but we decided to put [that] off for right now," she says. "Now they're going to sell the whole line that we created together."

Beer, wine, and snacks will be available for purchase at the bar, so you drink and nosh while browsing: Two Philadelphia breweries, Tired Hands and Crime and Punishment, will be there, and Kornack is making a porchetta sandwich with broccoli rabe (plus a vegetarian version).

The next event, which will be sometime in August, is going to center on one of Take Root's farmers. "We're going to empty out the restaurant and make it like a market, and he's going to fill it with produce and wild flowers," Kornack explains. "We'll have live music too. We like to break up the space, energetically, and it'll be nice to have the door open and not have it be as finite as it is now, with the tasting menu and the reservations. Anna and I both love drunk shopping, so this is kind of perfect."

The pop-up happens this Saturday.
Photo: Paul Wagtouicz

Some of the pieces that will be available.
Photo: Paul Wagtouicz

Some of the pieces were made in collaboration with the Take Root team.
Photo: Paul Wagtouicz

Would basically go well in any apartment.
Photo: Paul Wagtouicz

Pretty.
Photo: Paul Wagtouicz

There will be wine, like this Vinyes Singulars pét-nat rosè.
Photo: Paul Wagtouicz

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http://www.grubstreet.com/2016/06/take-root-mrkt-felt-and-fat-pop-up.html
http://www.grubstreet.com/2016/06/take-root-mrkt-felt-and-fat-pop-up.htmlhttp://www.grubstreet.com/2016/06/take-root-mrkt-felt-and-fat-pop-up.html#comment-listFoodieventsFri, 24 Jun 2016 18:50:00 GMTThe Stonewall Inn Is Now a National MonumentChris CrowleyThis one feels good.]]>
This morning, the Obama administration designated the site of the Stonewall riots the country's first national monument to LGBT rights. As was expected, the president signed a proclamation protecting the 7.7 acres of Manhattan where LGBT people fought back against a police raid on the Stonewall Inn on June 28, 1969. While the monument's boundaries will include the Inn, Christopher Park, and surrounding streets and sidewalks, only the park will become federal land managed by the National Park Service. In a video announcement, Obama explained, "I believe our national parks should reflect the full story of our country."

It's one more recognition for the historic site that was integral to the gay-rights movement. Last year, New York's Landmarks Preservation Commission voted unanimously to make the Stonewall Inn a New York landmark, and the nearly eight acres made a national monument today were designated a National Historic Landmark in February 2000. The proclamation comes less than two weeks after the massacre at the Pulse night club in Orlando, where a lone gunman killed 49 and injured 53 mostly Hispanic LGBT people in the single deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history. Later in the announcement, Obama recognized hard-won progress for the LGBT community, like Supreme Court victories that would've been "unthinkable" to the Stonewall protesters, while acknowledging that "there is important distance yet to travel."

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http://www.grubstreet.com/2016/06/obama-declares-stonewall-national-monument.html
http://www.grubstreet.com/2016/06/obama-declares-stonewall-national-monument.htmlhttp://www.grubstreet.com/2016/06/obama-declares-stonewall-national-monument.html#comment-listRecognitionFri, 24 Jun 2016 17:45:00 GMTIHOP Staffers Turned Their Entire Restaurant Into an All-out BrawlClint Rainey]]>
Staff at an IHOP in Memphis recently gave diners something extra to go along with their Rooty Tooty Fresh 'n Fruity breakfasts: an all-out brawl that was caught on camera. The mayhem, as one observer's video shows, broke out during regular business hours and involved more or less the entire staff gravitating room to room, leaving a wake of destruction:

Police say the fight caused about $1,000 worth of damage and the reactions afterward call to mind that scene in Anchorman where Ron Burgundy's news team recounts the all-out anchor fight: "Somebody was holding a baby and still trying to fight," explained one amazed customer who was an eyewitness, adding: "It's ridiculous." Anyone looking for a diner job in the Memphis area — there's probably at least one spot that suddenly has a lot of openings.

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http://www.grubstreet.com/2016/06/ihop-staff-brawl-video.html
http://www.grubstreet.com/2016/06/ihop-staff-brawl-video.htmlhttp://www.grubstreet.com/2016/06/ihop-staff-brawl-video.html#comment-listRestaurant BrawlsFri, 24 Jun 2016 16:51:00 GMTGrub Street’s Restaurant Power Rankings: Bonjour, Le CoucouAlan Sytsma]]>
Welcome to Grub Street's weekly survey of the most-talked-about, must-visit restaurants in New York City. The list below features spots both new and old ranked according to one important, ever-fluctuating (and admittedly subjective) metric: Who has the most buzz? Perhaps a famed chef has taken over the kitchen, or there's a new dish you absolutely must order. Maybe the restaurant is just brand-new, or the critics are raving about it. Whatever the reasons, these are the hottest restaurants in New York right now.

2. Dizengoff (Previously: 1)
The much-anticipated chickpea-centric spot from Michael Solomonov, Steven Cook, and chef Emily Seaman is now open in Chelsea Market, dishing out hummus with French fries and late-morning shakshuka to all who stop in, which means it is time to get over there and give the counter spot a try. Nab a seat at the bar or — perhaps more appealing — get everything to go and head over to the High Line.

3. Sauvage (4)
The Maison Premiere team has expanded with this brand-new French-ish spot in Greenpoint. Given Maison's enduring popularity, people are understandably excited for this sister spot — best raw bar in New York, after all — which looks to at least maintain the spirit of the original while presenting a more varied menu.

4. Olmsted (3)
This brand-new Prospect Heights spot — with a menu from chef Greg Baxtrom that focuses heavily on seasonal produce, and dishes highlighting skillful technique — is already turning out very impressive food. The crowds have started to discover it, too, so it's fortunate that the owners have set aside a back garden as a lovely little waiting space with wine and snacks.

5. Zadie’s Oyster Room (New this week)
What was Fifty Paces is now this restaurant focused on — you guessed it — oysters. Specifically, oysters that are cooked to the exacting specifications of chef Marco Canora. Grab a date, head over, get a bottle of wine, enjoy.

6. Emmy Squared (5)
The Emily follow-up, which opened in April, is what you might call a blockbuster. And for good reason: The fluffy "Detroit-style" square pizzas, which are the centerpiece of the menu, manage to bring something new to New York's vast pizza landscape without sacrificing anything that makes pizza so inherently satisfying. And, of course, there's a killer burger.

8. Barano (11)
Chef Albert Di Meglio isn't breaking the mold with his new Italian restaurant in Williamsburg, but he and his kitchen are instead sending out sophisticated, confident versions of the kind of Italian-American food that basically everyone loves. That means meatballs made with dry-aged beef, homemade smoked mozzarella and whole-wheat focaccia, delicate pasta with homemade lamb sausage, and a variety of pizzas that should make everyone happy.

9. Café Altro Paradiso (6)New York's own Adam Platt this week dropped a star on the new Italian café from the Estela team. The place has been basically mobbed for dinner since it opened, so Grub might suggest stopping in during the comparatively low-key weekend lunch service instead.

10. Nix (Off last week)
Platt also stopped in to John Fraser's popular new vegetable-centric restaurant on University Place, where the critic finds it's "possible to dine like a healthy vegetarian at this bright, buzzy, almost excessively trendy little restaurant ... but the sinful dishes are much more fun." Read: Make sure you order the fried potato bread.

11. Grünauer Bistro (Off last week)
While we're recapping this week's reviews, Times critic Pete Wells offered his thoughts on this elegant, willfully old-fashioned Austrian restaurant in Yorkville from Peter Grünauer. There is schnitzel, and Sacher torte, and apple strudel, of course, and the whole three-and-a-half-month-old restaurant already feels like an established part of the neighborhood.

12. Günter Seeger NY (7)
The opening was slightly delayed, but chef Günter Seeger's eponymous tasting room is officially open. Seeger has talked a lot during the run-up to opening about how his menu will lean heavily on seasonal produce and change frequently. Some of the early dishes look as refined and elegant as you'd expect.

13. Tapestry (9)
Chef Suvir Saran has returned to New York with this modern Indian spot, which opened late last week. The short menu is less about traditional dishes and more focused on applying Indian spice and technique to dishes like fried chicken, glazed pork chops, and seriously impressive rabbit terrine.

14. Indian Accent (10)
Meanwhile, another modern Indian restaurant is receiving quite a bit of attention: this midtown spinoff of Manish Mehrotra's acclaimed New Delhi restaurant. In a recent Timesreview, Wells called attention to many carefully made dishes, including a dessert of saffron milk, rose petals, and palm sugar that, when eaten together, creates "the kind of happy collision that few restaurants in town can deliver as well as Indian Accent."

15. Agern (13)International culinary superstar Claus Meyer has opened his first New York restaurant, inside Grand Central Terminal. Those who have been seem to like it, but word has been surprisingly muted, given Meyer's standing in the food world. The reviews will no doubt play a very big part in deciding whether this place ultimately succeeds.

16. Hail Mary (17)
In Greenpoint, husband and wife Hisham and Sohla El-Waylly — who have collectively worked at some of the city's most impressive restaurants — are applying a truly global focus to the classic American diner. As such, expect Bolivian-style hot dogs, homemade blood sausage, and a toad-in-a-hole made with duck eggs.

17. Brooklyn Barge (19)
It is nice outside, and so it is also very nice to see that this Greenpoint spot is open for the season. There are unobstructed water views, lots of tacos, and even kayak lessons. Summer!

18. Grand Banks (Off last week)
And, of course, it wouldn't be summer in New York without everyone's favorite bar (and oyster destination) on a boat, docked as always in the waters off Tribeca. The only drawback to this otherwise-lovely place is that it tends to get mobbed, so if you can sneak away from work to get there on an off-hour, definitely make a point to do so. (And get the lobster roll when you do.)

19. Momosan Ramen & Sake (18)
With summer now officially here, it might not be the best time for ramen, but Masaharu Morimoto's Murray Hill noodle destination has nevertheless proven extremely popular since opening this spring.

20. Swell Dive (New this week)
There's a new Filipino taco spot in Bed-Stuy that’s the kind of restaurant that seems tailor-made for summer months. Over on Eater, Robert Sietsema took an early look and seemed to like what he found, including fried-Spam tacos on homemade tortillas.

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http://www.grubstreet.com/2016/06/grub-street-restaurant-power-rankings-where-to-eat.html
http://www.grubstreet.com/2016/06/grub-street-restaurant-power-rankings-where-to-eat.htmlhttp://www.grubstreet.com/2016/06/grub-street-restaurant-power-rankings-where-to-eat.html#comment-listRestaurant Power RankingsFri, 24 Jun 2016 15:05:00 GMTSpanish Entrepreneurs Have Invented Blue WineChris CrowleyThe wine no one asked for.]]>
If you ever scanned your local bistro's wine list and thought, Huh, why didn't blue booze ever catch on in a bigger way?, your prayers have been answered. For the last two years, six mad scientists from Spain have been holed up in their laboratories experimenting with grape varietals and organic pigments in an effort to, at long last, end the tyranny of rosé and bring the world blue wine. With the help of the University of the Basque Country and the Basque government's food-research arm, they emerged last year as Gik with blue teeth, stained shirts, and a sweet, chilled wine that's made with grapes from, seemingly, wherever they could get some (Castilla-La Mancha, La Rioja, León, Zaragoza, and so on).

After selling 70,000 bottles of their 11.5 percent ABV game-changer in Spain, Gik's product is now available in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, France, Portugal, and Switzerland, and there are plans to sneak-attack an unsuspecting United States. The producers don't actually claim to know much about making wine, per se, or actually even like regular old wine that much, but, hey, that's neither here nor there. What matters is that they're all about a good time, want everyone to stop being so uptight about their vino, and promise they "will change the world" by introducing a novelty beverage.